Pneumatic yard cleaning machine



Oct. 15, 1957 c. E. COLLINS ETAL 2,809,389

PNEUMATIC YARD CLEANING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1955 JNVENTORS 0 22455 E. COLL/NS, MAQGUEE/TE 5 COLL //v.s;

ATTQB/VEYS.

Oct. 15, 1957 c. E. COLLINS ETAL 2,809,389

PNEUMATIC YARD CLEANING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1955 FIG. 3.

FIG. 5.

IN V ENTORS C'f/AEL 5 E'. 001. L //V MAZQGUEgg/TE E. COLL/N6,

We 0mm ATTOE/VEYS.

United States Patent PNEUMATIC YARDCIJEAN1NG-MACHINE Charles E. CollinsandMarguerite E..Collins, Albuquerque, NI BIexh Application August 5, 1955, Serial No. 526,736

1CIaim.. (Cl..15339) This inventionsrelatestosweepingmaehines, and more particularly to an improved yard cleaning machine of theipenumatic .type, adapted to pickup; and pulverizesrnall twigs, leaves, and similar material from the ground.

A main object of'the invention is to provide a novel and improved pneumatic yard cleaningmachine: which is simple in construction; which is easy to operate, and which is'very "efictive in picking up-and pulverizing debris such as leaves, small twigs and the like from the ground, and which is also suitable for use for a large number of other purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pneumatic yard sweeping and cleaning machine which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which is durable in construction, and which may be readily adapted for use as a vacuum machine for cleaning snow from walks, or the like, or for pulverizing or scattering fertilizer and similar material.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top view of an improved pneumatic cleaning machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken through the machine of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, the improved pneumatic cleaning and sweeping machine is designated generally at 11 and comprises a frame 12 of generally rectangular shape having the transverse ground-engaging wheels 13 journaled on a transverse axle 14 secured to the bottom of the frame at the forward portion thereof and having the swiveled caster wheel 15 pivoted to a caster swivel bracket 16 rotatably connected to the rear portion of the frame at its bottom end, as is clearly shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Mounted on the frame 12 is a blower housing 17 in which is centrally journaled a vertical shaft 18. Secured on the intermediate portion of the shaft 18 is a rotor 19 provided with a plurality of radial propeller blades 20 which extend over substantially the full intermediate horizontal cross section of the housing 17 and which are arranged to produce a substantial upward draft through said housing responsive to the rotation of shaft 18.

The lower portion of the housing 17 is formed with the downwardly flaring intake conduit 21 provided at its forward end with the depending resilient rubber skirt 22 which extends substantially to ground level. The respective sides of the conduit 21 are provided with the depending rigid support plate 23, and journaled transversely in the support plate 23 is a shaft 24 on which is secured a sweeper brush 25.

As shown inFignre 4,- the-sweeper brush.- 2.5:comprises a pair of separated. segments 26,- 26 which arevspaced to definean open portion at the intermediate portion=ofithe shaft.24; Secured on said open portionof thershaftz2d is a. pulley'27 which is coupled byabeltZS to apulley-29 secured to the. lower end of shaft 18,- said;1ower; end extending below the bottomwallof the housing shown in. Figure3.

Designated at 30 is-a handle frame WhiClliS CODDECiCd to the lower portion of the main frame:1-2: and; which extendsupwardly. and rearwardly with; respect: to said mainframe, asis clearly shown inFigures: 2 and.32. Se=v cured. to thev intermediate portion of: the handle frame 3t v is. a: horizontal, transversely; extending plate. 312 on whichz-is mounted an internal combustionengine. 32,.said internalcombustion engine beingprovided; with :a; vertical shafuprojectingthrough the plate-31 and having;secured thereon:belowthe plate 31 a pulley; 32.. Thepulley; 32 iscoupled bya-belt 33v to apulley34 securedto tlie top end of shaft 18 above thehousing 1-7, as;shown in Fig ure- 3...

The upper forward portionofatl'ieghousing 1T informed with an outlet conduit 35 to which is rotatably secured a vertical conduit section 36 extending upwardly a substantial distance, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Designated at 37 is a generally rectangular foraminous receptacle which comprises a square bottom wall 38, a square top wall 39, and foraminous side walls 40 of suitable wire mesh or other well known screen material.

The foraminous receptacle 37 is removably supported in a suitable supporting frame 41 provided at the top of the main frame 12.

The top plate 39 of the receptacle 37 is provided with an upstanding vertical conduit element 42. Designated at 43 is an inverted U-shaped outlet conduit element which is rotatably connected to the top of the conduit section 36 and which is received in the conduit element 42, as shown in Figure 3, but which may be readily disengaged therefrom whenever desired, as, for example, when it is desired to remove the receptacle 37.

The propeler blades 20 are formed with a plurality of pulverizing apertures 44, as shown in Figure 5, said apertures having beveled edges and being of substantial size so that the beveled edges of the apertures act to pnlverize debris such as small twigs and leaves as such debris is blown upwardly through the housing 17 by the draft created by the rotating blades. Thus, in operation of the machine, the debris is swept into the conduit 21 by the combined action of the rotating brush elements 26, 26 and the vacuum produced in the intake conduit 21 by the rotating propeller blades 20, the debris being moved upwardly against the blades 20 and being pulverized by the sharp edges of the apertures 44 as well as bythe outer edges of the blades. The pulverized material is blown upwardly by the action of the propeller blades and is discharged through the conduit 35 into the vertical conduit section 36, and thence through the U- shaped condiut 43 into the receptacle 37. When a large amount of material has accumulated in the receptacle 37, the end of the U-shaped conduit 43 may be disengaged from the relatively short vertical conduit element 42 in plate 39, after which the receptacle 37 may be removed from its seat 41 on main frame 12 to be emptied.

The device may be employed for various other purposes, for example, with the foraminous receptacle 37 removed, the U-shaped conduit element 43 may be rotated to a laterally extending position and may be connected to a suitable collection conduit, preferably a flexible conduit, so that the device may be employed in the manner of a vacuum cleaner, and may be employed, for example, for removing snow from a walk, the snow thus removed being discharged into any suitable receptacle into which the flexibleconduit may be inserted. A further use is in pulverizing or scattering material, such as dry fertilizer, in which case a flexible conduit is connected to the U- shaped member 43 and the end of the flexible conduit is directed at the material *to be scattered or pulverizedi after said material is deposited on the ground. 7 v While a specific'embodiment of an improved sweeping and cleaning machine has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled .in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim. 7

What isclaimedis: 7 A pneumatic cleaning machine comprising an upstanding wheeled frame, means at the top margin of said frame defining a supporting seat extending around said top margin, a rigid foraminous; receptacle substantially the same in horizontal area and shape as said frame and being shaped to be supportingly received on said seat, whereby said receptacle is removably mounted on the top of said frame, a motor, means supportingly connecting said motor to said frame, a fan housing mounted on the lower portion of said frame below said seat, an intake conduit connected to the lower portion of said housing and opening substantially at ground level, a horizontal sweeper brush 4 journaled transversely in said intake conduit, a blower fan mounted horizontally in said fan housing, said fan comprising a vertical shaft journaled centrally in said housing and a plurality of radial propeller blades secured to the intermediate portion of said shaft and extending radially almost the full distance between the shaft and the inside wall surface of the fan housing, said blades being formed with pulverizing apertures having beveled edges, means drivingly coupling said vertical shaft and sweeper brush to said motor, and, an outlet conduit connecting the top portion of'said fan housing to the top wall of said foraminous receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 434,178 Ethridge Aug. 12, 1890 773,483 Drew Oct. 25, 1904 1,409,910 'Anderson Mar. 21, 1922 1,899,181 Carolus Feb. 28, 1933 2,519,741 Caughey Aug. 22, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 162,793 Austria Apr. 11, 1949 427,647 Great Britain Apr. 29, 1935. 508,706 Canada Ian. 4, 1955; 

